Chapter 176 [VIP]

"Meow?"

The cat with a red silk flower around its neck jumped onto the coffee table. It stared outside, its little ears twitching, its golden eyes filled with curiosity, eager to go out and play.

As if sensing something, Wuweizi calculated with his fingers and said with a smile, "Zhuo'er, go outside."

yes.

Gu Zhizhuo obediently stood up.

Until just now, she was still weak in her limbs and needed Xie Danling's help to get up, but now she can stand steadily.

She stepped outside and stood in the middle of the courtyard.

It's a beautiful day today, with clear skies and bright sunshine.

The sunlight warmed Gu Zhizhuo's cold limbs and lungs, and she squinted her eyes contentedly.

The rosy glow fell like fine rain, or like a thin veil, draping over her, making her appear ethereal and otherworldly.

"Who is this?" The young Taoist's eyes lit up as he stared intently at Gu Zhizhuo.

"It's Miss Gu."

One of the worshippers shouted, "I've seen him! I've seen him!"

“My neighbor’s little girl was bled dry and almost died, but Miss Gu saved her.”

"It's the Duke of Zhenguo..." No, it's the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion now! "It's Miss Gu from the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion."

"A radiant glow descends from the sky." The young Taoist priest said with a devout expression, "This is the light of merit! I was not mistaken, this young lady is indeed a person of great fortune."

Someone realized: "So the blessed woman in the divination of Master Qingping is Miss Gu."

He muttered to himself and unconsciously knelt down.

As soon as he knelt down, the people around him followed suit, and soon a large number of them knelt down, forming a dense, dark mass of figures.

The glow that had enveloped the mountaintop of Taiqing Temple for three days gradually faded away, but everyone who witnessed this scene was deeply moved and the shock lingered for a long time.

The rosy clouds came because of Miss Gu.

Miss Gu is truly a woman blessed with good fortune!

Before long, the news spread throughout the entire Taiqing Temple, and more and more pilgrims came to visit.

As the pilgrims left the temple and descended the mountain, the news spread to the capital like the wind.

"Oh dear, it's such a pity you didn't go to Taiqing Temple today!"

"Is the afterglow still there?"

"It's... no, it's gone."

"Is he here or not?"

"It was there at first, but then, as soon as Miss Gu came out, the rosy light draped over her, making her look like a fairy descending from heaven, dressed in a colorful robe. She was absolutely beautiful."

The man who had just returned from Taiqing Temple said devoutly, "Miss Gu is blessed by Heaven. Now that she has married Prince Chen, she will surely bless our Great Qi with prosperity and a flourishing era!"

"Huh?" someone asked, "Wasn't it said before that the woman of destiny was that Miss Ji who was staying at the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion?"

"Pah!" He sneered disdainfully. "Back then, Master Qingping only predicted a blessed woman, but he didn't say it was her. She must have taken all the credit for herself. Does she think no one knows that the Emperor took his wife, and she disregarded the kindness of the Prince of Zhenbei's family in raising her, and followed them into the palace like a lapdog? Shameless..."

Bang!

In a private booth facing the street, Ji Nanke threw her wine glass violently, shattering it into pieces.

She bit her lower lip hard, her face full of embarrassment and shame.

Xie Jing glanced down at the shattered wine glass, then gestured for Xiao Yunzi to close the window, shutting out the noise from outside.

"Is that what you think too?" Ji Nanke stared at him and asked with difficulty.

"What?"

Xie Jing was somewhat lost in thought. He held the wine cup, the amber liquid reflecting in his eyes, and he didn't hear what Ji Nanke was saying at all.

Ji Nanke gripped the octagonal table tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning slightly white.

Xie Jing asked again, "What?"

He still didn't lift his head.

Seeing that he wasn't paying any attention to her, Ji Nanke said angrily, "You also think that the woman destined for happiness should be Gu Zhizhuo?"

"You regret it, don't you!?"

Xie Jing finally looked up at her, somewhat helplessly: "Do you want me to say yes, or no?"

He regretted it.

Gu Zhizhuo should be his fiancée.

He couldn't help but wonder whether the woman of destiny that Qingping Zhenren mentioned when he first met her, who could bless him to rule the world and create a prosperous era, referred to Ji Nanke who was by his side, or Gu Zhizhuo, with whom he was engaged.

He couldn't remember what Master Qingping had said.

He even suspected that it was because he admired Ji Nanke that he wanted to shower her with all the good praise.

To create momentum for her.

Xie Jing's gaze was shallow and indifferent, lacking the usual intense affection, and instead carrying a hint of restraint.

Ji Nanke: "..."

"I just... I just..." she said, her eyes filled with tears, "We were the ones who set the date first. Why did you have to make it up to her?"

Seeing her looking so aggrieved and submissive, Xie Jing couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

He didn't say anything more to blame, only saying, "We've clashed, rescheduling is fine."

Ji Nanke said aggrievedly, "She has always loved to compete with me since we were little. She deliberately chose the same day to see me lose face and make me bow my head."

Xie Jing had originally planned to host a banquet on the tenth day of the ninth lunar month, but ever since Xie Yingchen and the Gu family set the date for the betrothal ceremony on the tenth day of the ninth lunar month, the families who had received his invitations came one after another to apologize, saying that they had no way to come.

That's true. To them, taking a concubine is nothing compared to the betrothal from His Highness Prince Chen.

Xie Jing had voluntarily postponed the date. Upon hearing this, he said nonchalantly, "If you're not worried about no one coming to congratulate you, you can stay as is. It's not even noon yet, everything is ready at the Imperial Estate, so there's no need for any welcoming or greetings. We can just go together."

This won't do!

Ji Nanke almost blurted it out.

Xie Jing once said that he "would not be a concubine," and was willing to ruin Gu Zhizhuo's face in order to make Gu Zhizhuo feel ashamed and break off the engagement.

But Xie Jing now says that it doesn't matter whether he welcomes her or not; he sees her as a concubine from the bottom of his heart and has lost all respect for her.

However, Ji Nanke could no longer simply walk away.

The Ji family no longer wanted her and expelled her from the clan.

She now lives in the palace in an awkward position, and even the palace maids and eunuchs look down on her.

She had nowhere to go.

The only person she could still hold onto was Xie Jing.

Ji Nanke held back her words of complaint, swallowing them all back.

Xie Jing treated her much worse than before, and she could only suppress her temper.

She slightly raised her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling, a tear clinging to one of them.

"Your Highness, I..."

"Your Highness."

There was a knock on the door of the private room, and Wei Jiu opened it and came in, interrupting Ji Nanke before she could finish speaking.

He clasped his hands and said, "His Majesty has issued a decree to establish an heir apparent."

Xie Jing's shoulders trembled, and his fingers tightened suddenly around the wine cup.

The noise from the street grew louder. Ji Nanke hurried over and opened the window. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, her heart was pounding, and her throat was tight.

"The crown prince has been chosen."

"Go quickly! A notice has been posted in front of the government office. The Emperor has restored the title of Crown Prince to Prince Chen and made him the heir apparent!"

Really?

"If you don't believe me, go to the government office and ask. The government has sent people there to read it to us."

"I'll go take a look!"

A variety of sounds mingled together.

"Miss Gu is truly a woman blessed with good fortune. She was made crown prince the moment Prince Chen proposed. It's amazing."

Ji Nanke gripped the windowsill tightly, incredulous: "This is impossible!"

"Your Highness," she said anxiously, turning around, "Did you hear that? The Emperor's decree has named Prince Chen as the Crown Prince! You..."

Xie Jing downed a glass of wine expressionlessly, then poured himself another.

Ji Nanke's heart skipped a beat, and she asked incredulously, "You...you knew all along?"

Xie Jing remained noncommittal and downed another cup.

Of course he knows!

Three days ago, Xie Yingchen threatened and coerced his father, the Emperor, with a piece of broken ink in front of him in Hanzhang Palace.

Completely unlike the gentle and harmless persona everyone knew, he was like a wild beast revealing its true form, shedding all pretense and showing its fangs and sharp teeth.

He had no power to fight back against him.

Not only himself, but also his father.

He watched helplessly as his father, initially enraged, then fearful, repeatedly berated, roared at, and threatened Xie Yingchen, ultimately succumbing to a helpless rage.

From childhood to adulthood, his father, the emperor, was always so tall and heroic in his eyes.

Even with the example of the deposed crown prince, the one who ultimately got the throne was still the Emperor.

But even such a powerful father was driven to a dead end by Xie Yingchen.

The emperor was forced to agree.

Xie Jing thought his father had only given a verbal agreement and that there must be a follow-up plan, but to his surprise, the imperial edict to establish an heir was actually issued that very day.

Xie Jing said, "He's actually endured it until now."

Ji Nanke: "What?"

Xie Jing did not answer.

Xie Yingchen received the imperial edict three days ago, yet he waited until now to have it proclaimed.

Was it for Gu Zhizhuo?

He wanted the world to believe that it was Gu Zhizhuo's good fortune that secured him the position of heir apparent.

"Your Highness." Seeing that Xie Jing ignored him, Ji Nanke couldn't help but ask, "So you're just admitting it like that?"

Xie Jing is utterly useless.

He is the legitimate son of the Empress, and it's one thing that he's always been weak, but now he's even willing to hand over the throne to someone else!?

Xie Jing downed another glass of wine, his throat burning with pain.

Ji Nanke grew anxious: "Your Highness, have you considered that if Xie Yingchen were to ascend the throne one day, he might be able to tolerate the eldest prince and the others, but would he be able to tolerate you, the legitimate son who has competed with him for the throne?"

Her beautiful eyes flickered as she sat back down beside Xie Jing, took his hand, and whispered, "Your Highness, not fighting is tantamount to waiting for death."

Xie Jing is her only option now, but choosing Xie Jing does not mean that she is willing to wait with him to be imprisoned, or even to wait for death.

"Enough!"

Xie Jing tossed aside the wine cup in his hand, which rolled once on the octagonal table. He then abruptly stood up and walked out.

"Your Highness, where are you going?"

"congratulate."

After saying that, he walked out of the private room. Ji Nanke stood there for a while, pursing her lips, and then followed him.

As soon as he stepped out, Xie Jing headed straight for the Prince Chen's residence.

Guests streamed in and out of the Prince Chen's mansion, their carriages almost completely blocking the road in front of the gate.

Xie Jing sat in the carriage and slowly moved forward.

The wine was quite strong; after a few glasses, he felt dizzy and his back was covered in sweat.

Finally, the carriage entered the mansion and stopped at the ceremonial gate. Xie Jing was about to get out of the carriage when he remembered something, turned back to Ji Nanke and said, "You can wait here."

"Why?" Ji Nanke paused for a moment, then laughed self-deprecatingly. "Do you think I'll embarrass you?"

Xie Jing rubbed his throbbing temples and patiently explained, "There are no women in the Prince Chen's residence, so who will take care of you?"

Not only were there no female relatives, but there weren't even any maids to serve them.

Ji Nanke pulled Xie Jing back: "I don't need anyone to take care of me."

Xie Jing really didn't want to argue with her about these things, so he said, "Whatever you want." He jumped off the carriage and helped her down as well.

The Prince Chen's residence has always kept a low profile. Since Xie Yingchen moved out of the palace, he has never hosted a banquet. This is the first time.

There were few servants in the mansion, and the eunuchs waiting at the ceremonial gate to receive guests were all elderly.

After the eunuch greeted him, he smiled and led him inside.

Ji Nanke looked around. The Prince Chen's mansion was the former residence of the deposed crown prince, but it was far less luxurious than she had imagined. Instead, it was quite spacious and somewhat desolate at first glance. However, the flowers leaping on the branches, the fish swimming in the pond, the drooping wisteria, and the staggered rockery added a touch of vitality to the desolation.

"Jing'er".

Halfway there, someone suddenly called out to Xie Jing; it was the Duke of Cheng'en.

Xie Jing cupped his hands and greeted, "Uncle."

Duke Cheng'en also came to offer his congratulations. He arrived a full incense stick earlier than Xie Jing. Feeling bored in the flower hall, he came out for a walk.

He gave Ji Nanke a disdainful and critical look, puffed out his belly, and said, "I will take His Highness inside. You may continue with your business."

With a wave of his hand, the Duke of Cheng'en dismissed the eunuch. Seeing that no one was around, he asked impatiently, "Jing'er, what are your plans?"

To avoid being overheard, Duke Cheng'en lowered his voice and darted his eyes from side to side.

Intend?

Xie Jing doesn't know either.

Just as Xie Yingchen said that day, so what if he is the eldest son of the emperor? He can't even get close to the Eastern Palace and has accomplished nothing.

Xie Jing chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"It's alright." Duke Chengen leaned closer, lowered his head, and said mysteriously, "Your uncle has already thought of everything for you."

Forehead?

The flower hall was just ahead. Duke Cheng'en made a shushing gesture and said confidently, "Just you wait."

Xie Jing: "Uncle, what did you say..."

"Your Highness has arrived too."

There were already quite a few people sitting in the flower hall. When they saw Xie Jing, they all stood up to greet him.

The Prince Chen's mansion was truly boring. There were no entertainers, no opera troupes, not even a pretty maid. A group of grown men sat facing each other. When they saw that Xie Jing had brought Ji Nanke along, they remembered that the Third Prince had originally planned to take a concubine today, and couldn't help but make a few teasing remarks, as if he had a beautiful concubine in his arms or something.

Ji Nanke was secretly annoyed; she hadn't expected them to treat her so contemptuously in front of her.

Xie Jing grabbed her hand and scolded her unhappily, "Miss Ji is not yet married, so don't say such things again."

The speaker smiled awkwardly, then changed the subject, asking, "Hey, why hasn't Prince Li arrived yet?"

"Prince Li went to Taiqing Temple."

So the conversation turned to Taiqing Temple, and Xia Guang and Gu Zhizhuo. Some people had gone to see it in the past two days and were full of praise for it.

"The Crown Prince has truly found a good match."

Except for a few senior cabinet ministers, everyone believed that the imperial edict to establish an heir was issued after the marriage agreement was signed.

Xie Yingchen returned to China seriously ill, penniless. But after this marriage, everything turned out well for him. Not only did his health improve, but he also rose to the position of Crown Prince. What could be more auspicious than the blessings brought by marriage?

After hearing this, some people couldn't help but look at Xie Jing.

The Third Prince gave up this excellent marriage for the sake of his beloved concubine; now he must regret it.

Even if it wasn't explicitly stated, everyone understood the meaning. Xie Jing simply sipped his tea, remaining silent.

Before long, Xie Yingchen arrived.

There were quite a few guests, who were seated in several flower halls and waterside pavilions. As soon as he entered, everyone stood up to greet him and offer their congratulations.

With the crown prince officially recognized, even before the ceremony of offering sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple has been held, he is the rightful heir apparent.

The crown prince is also a ruler.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

After exchanging greetings, Duke Cheng'en cheerfully called out and then winked at Xie Jing.

Xie Jing had a bad feeling when he thought about what he had just said, and he quietly tugged at Cheng En Gong's sleeve.

He should at least let me know what he wants to say first, right?

"uncle."

Xie Jing whispered a reminder, "Today is the day of Prince Chen's... the day of the Crown Prince's joyous celebration." Meaning, don't do anything rash.

From his youth, Cheng En Gong was a troublemaker.

He laughed heartily and said, "Your Highness, the Liang Kingdom recently sent a letter of state, requesting a marriage alliance with the Great Qi Kingdom to establish lasting friendship."

Since the previous dynasty, the Liang Kingdom had repeatedly invaded the borders, and this was even more so after the Daqi era. It wasn't until Gu Taotao extinguished their arrogance that they voluntarily wrote a letter of surrender.

In the years that followed, Xie Qiyun's inaction allowed Liang to harass and probe the enemy, leading Liang to consider tearing up the surrender letter and stationing troops on the border. Only recently, after Jiang Youzheng replaced Xie Qiyun as the General of the Western Frontier, did he change his previous lax approach. At Xie Yingchen's instigation, he launched several fierce attacks on Liang, forcing them to retreat to the border and finally renew the peace treaty.

The Duke of Cheng'en was in charge of the Court of State Ceremonial. The letter was delivered to him first, but he deliberately withheld it and did not present it.

The Duke of Cheng'en smiled warmly and said, "What does Your Highness think?"

Xie Yingchen replied without hesitation, "The princess of Daqi will not marry far away or engage in political marriage."

When Liang Kingdom wrote its letter of surrender, it had already requested to marry the princess of Daqi.

Sacrificing a princess to maintain peace on the border is a common practice in all dynasties, and no one expected Xie Yingchen to refuse so decisively.

The Duke of Cheng'en revealed a triumphant smile: "It is the Liang Kingdom that is willing to send its princess to the capital to establish a marriage alliance with the Great Qi Kingdom."

He spoke casually and nonchalantly, "Perfect timing. The Third Prince is not yet engaged. Why don't we let the Third Prince share the burden of the country and marry the Princess of Liang?"

After he finished speaking, he turned to Xie Jing and smiled, "Your Highness, is that right?"

A note from the author: